Subject: Big stick insect!
Geographic location of the bug: Valdora QLD Australia
Date: 04/01/2019
Time: 08:40 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: Can you please tell me what this massive insect is? At a guess it’s about 250mm long.
How you want your letter signed: Eric
Dear Eric,
Size alone is not a diagnostic feature for Stick Insects in Australia, which seems to be the home of several of the largest Stick Insects in the world. Do you by chance have a dorsal view that shows the head? That would be helpful. The Brisbane Insect site has images of some large Stick Insects from Australia. We will post your images as Unidentified and perhaps one of our readers more familiar with Australian fauna will provide a species identification.
Update: Comment from Michael Connors:
An adult female Titan Stick Insect (Acrophylla titan) – the long wavy cerci and the dark spots on the underside are diagnostic features.
ED. Note: According to the Brisbane Insect site: “Titan Stick Insects are giant insect, they are the longest insect in Australia. The female adult body length is about 230mm.”
Hi Daniel,
Thanks heaps for taking the time to look it up and get back to me! You guys are awesome:)
Cheers,
Eric
An adult female Titan Stick Insect (Acrophylla titan) – the long wavy cerci and the dark spots on the underside are diagnostic features
Thanks so much for that identification.